USMNT v. Colombia Review

The second friendly in four days saw some lineup changes, a different starting formation, and much less attack. The 0-0 draw between Colombia was a battle of attrition. Neither team was able to crack the backline of the other team. Whether that was because of the play of the defenses or because a lack of creativity is the real issue. Personally, I lean toward the latter in a match that saw seven shots on goal total.

Let’s start with the lineup. Great move by Bob Bradley to start Heath Pearce and Brek Shea. Both players have enjoyed success this season and it was nice to see him try out some new players. The new players and new formation shows that maybe Bradley gets it. My main thing to watch was if he would stick to the old faces and old tactics. That clearly has not happened and this has to continue if Bradley is to avoid the trappings of a second term as national team coach.

Back to the formation, what started as a 4-3-3 seemed to morph into a 4-2-3-1 with Jermaine Jones stepping up to support Jozy Altidore. Michael Bradley and Maurice Edu sat in front of Oguchi Onyewu and Clarence Goodson. It was a good change but it’s effectiveness was questionable, especially in the first half.

Speaking of the first half it was extremely uneventful. Neither team pressured the other and there seemed to be no one on the pitch willing to take a chance. As for individual performances no one stood out for either good or bad play. The 0-0 score at the half was indicative of the play. It was clear that in the first half the team missed the creativity of Clint Dempsey.

The second half saw the U.S. come out in a more traditional 4-4-2 with Eddie Johnson pairing with Altidore to generate more attacking options and the introduction of Clint Dempsey and Bennie Feilhaber. Despite the changes the attack never really got on track for either team although Colombia pressured more in the final 30 minutes nothing came of it as the U.S. played very well in defense.

The best change in the second half was newcomer Eric Lichaj coming in for Jonathan Spector. Lichaj combined early and often with Stuart Holden (while he was in) and Jermaine Jones. Holden and Jones continued their good partnership. You could see the build-up improve when Jones and Holden played on the same side. Their combinations with Dempsey were very good to see in both matches.

The Good:

– The defense for the USMNT did well. While they had some shaky moments passing, including quite a bit of back passing, they held their marks and never allowed Colombia’s dangerous attacking players to get free.

– Heath Pearce showed extremely well in defense but never seemed to get into the attack. Currently the third option at left back behind Carlos Bocanegra and Jonathan Bornstein, the F.C. Dallas left back did well for himself.

– Eric Lichaj was extremely productive and active at right back. He looked much better, especially going forward, than Jonathan Spector. The 24 year old certainly earned himself another call up. His cross to Jozy Altidore in the 85th minute was great. Of course, Altidore put it right at the keeper.

– Jermaine Jones and Stuart Holden play on the same wave length. That is a great thing going forward as both players are sure to play prominent roles heading toward the Gold Cup.

The Bad:

– No one seemed to want to take a risk. That was true for both teams but it was disappointing after the promising match against Poland.

– The opening 4-3-3 did not work well with Maurice Edu, Michael Bradley, and Jermaine Jones playing too close to each other. It is going to take some time for Bradley and Edu to get used to Jones’ movement and passing.

– The spacing and positional play did not look well in this match. Again it was the opposite of the Poland match.

– Jozy Altidore and Michael Bradley were disappointing. Both young players did very well in South Africa but neither did well. Altidore’s lack of positional awareness and his loss of temper late was not a good sign.

Overall it was a tough match to watch. On the whole the two matches showed that the team may not be at risk of being stale in formation and tactics. I give Bob Bradley a solid B+ for his decisions and tactical changes. Here is my look at some individual players.

Players that Showed Well:

1. Jermaine Jones was everything I have been waiting for as a center midfielder. His passing and vision are refreshing but it was his ability with his feet that was great. Best player on the pitch for the U.S.

2. Clint Dempsey was 1a for me as the best U.S. player. The Fulham forward has taken his focus and play to another level. He was the talisman in the Poland match and played well as a supporting midfielder against Colombia. Very nice showing.

3. Stuart Holden should start every match for the U.S. and it really should not be up for debate. His combination with the first two players on this list was refreshing. Add Landon Donovan to that trio and you have what I believe is an elite midfield.

4. Heath Pearce showed that he can be a defensive player. Normally known for his offense he is a candidate for the future at left back.

5. Eric Lichaj played a very appealing 45 mintues. While Steve Cherundolo is entrenched as the short term starter, Lichaj is a good prospect for the future.

Players that Did Not Show Well:

1. Jozy Altidore was just bad. Simply put there was not one positive thing for the 20 year old outside of his goal against Poland. His performance against Colombia was just not good enough. He was offsides on two plays where there was no reason for him to be out of position. The offside on the free kick play was the icing on the cake for me.

2. Michael Bradley was non-existent in both matches. He did not seem to know how to play with Jones in either match and adding Edu to the mix last night made it worse. I have said before that while Bradley is a very good all around player he does not do one thing well. Jones seemed to take his free role and he did not know how to adapt.

3. Bennie Feilhaber is the third of three top World Cup performers that did not show well. Feilhaber is extremely confusing to me. He enjoys such peaks and valleys regarding his play. He was not effective on the wing in either match and seems to need quite a bit of freedom to do well central. Not a good thing when there are other players demanding the ball that have better skill.

4. Maurice Edu looked out of place on the backline, which is expected. What was not expected was his lack of passing and movement in midfield. He has enjoyed success with Rangers recently but he was clearly not performing well and it showed.

So now we wait until the November 17th match against South Africa in Capetown. Despite the MLS Cup match being the next weekend I expect to see a full strength squad that may include one or two surprise names, like Omar Gonzales or Kevin Alston, in defense.

What did you think last night? Was it as tough to watch for you as it was for me? What did you think of Jones’ performance and did you think his pairing with Bradley worked? Disappointed that they could not scratch out a goal last night? After watching these two games are you worried about the forward position for the Gold Cup next summer?